The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1887-08-02
AN OLD TINE ACROBAT.
THE CAREER OF THE ONCE "a
NOUS HENRY NJ. MAJlLTCN.

His Fall from Trapeze--The Wonder of
Observation-Disclosures of Old Circus
Days-saved Money and Has Fair
Competence.
In a cosy home in Ellsworth street lives
Henry NJ Majilton, who for thirteen years
Of his early life was the wonder OF showmen
and who has been for twenty-five years more
than wonder TO those who knew him be-
cause Of the marvellous cheeTiness with which
he has endured a life Of physical inaninity
caused by a paralysis Of his lower extremities,
the result Of a spinal dislocatiOn following a
fall while doing a flying trapeze act in the
London AlhambTa in March, 1861
His first venture in the business was in
1913, when he was engaged as a lumber by
Aaron Turner, whose circus started from
Hamilton, o, and worked the season east
through New York and New England. His
salary was 50 a week and found, and the best
performers in the show did not get more than
thrice the sum. Tim Turner, who was the
first to turn a sOmersault on horse with
pad, was the principal rider, and there was
four horse act rider and a scenic rider chang
ing costumes while in fun career, a clown,
acrobats, slack rope dancer, about ten per-
formers in all, and about sixty people in all
with the show, which exhibited in q forty
foot ring under single pole tent of 100 feet
diameter, holding, on a pinch. nearly 1000
people. There was a stand and two shows
every day; the expenses were not over 500
day and when the weather was good about
that amount was cleared. In those cheap
days fifty cents day paid for the food for
the men, and from fifteen to twenty five
cents day for the horses. There were no
lady performers with the show and yet it was
a 1-C.-I in ts
jutOn was with Turner two seasons, during
which time he invented the three pole tent,
which permitted a great enlargement Of the
canvas, and which Is used by all the travelling
Circuses outside Of such big shows as Bar
NUNS or FOrepaugh's to-day. In 1850 he en-
gagged with Spaldiug & Rogers and remained
with them until 1915 working his way up 70
the top of his profession by hard work, So
briefly, a genius for universally and rare
invention of new and hitherto supposed i'm
possible acts, and commanding the biggest
salary of the day. He was with Spalding s.
Rogers when they ran their floating circus up
and down the Mississippi and its larger tribu-
Jaries, and d while with these managers
that he made himself famous IN his character
of Jocko, in "Joclo;' or, the Brazilian Ape.
"JoCKo' HIS GREAT CHARACTER.
The original of the character was Henry
Leech, an Englishman, whose professional
name was Otto Motif His body was of the
size of an ordinary MANS but his legs were
only foot long, yet such was his agility that
he could Outruu, Oh all fOuTs, very fair run
ner. His skeleton is in Mime. Tussauds exhi-
bition in London. The Ravels afterward
introduced the character in their pantomimes.
but it was left to Majilton to bring it to per
lection. He had wonderful strength in his
hands and could walk with his hands hanging
l.v. s,f-t
weight depending upon the grip between his
thumbs and their opposing fingers, with per
feet ease; and~he occasionally astonished a
braggart of the profession by walking on his
hands OH a slack rope or on the hawser with
which the circus was towed by a steamer.
This singular faculty made him an expert
climber and he would run up and down the
interior of the circus and leap the rail Of the
tiers and run along them with an agility that
no ape could excel. He fairly rolled with
laughter when he told how he frightened the
cOlOred people on the Mississippi.
On one occasion, when he Ieaped among
them, chattering and grimacing, many
jumped in their fright through the windows
of the circus into the river and were rescued
with difficulty. For Gods sake, stop this"
said Spaulding afterward, cor we'll have
dead niggers to pay for" Ia December, 1854,
while playing i'll Charleston, he created almost
a panic in the theatre One Of the scrub
women was stationed in the third tier with a
stuffed baby, and Majilton, in his Jocko act,
snatched it from her and, jumping to the side
of the prOscenium boxes, beat its head against
the wood and then threw it to the stage and
jumped on it, the women yelling all the while
and the audience in a terrible uproar Of ter
ror and indignation.
NONE SINCE CAN DO THEM.
Many of his acts were of his own invention,
and two at least have never been performed
since. In one or two of these he laid on his
back on the end of pole carried by a second
on the stage in a waist socket and In the ap-
parently painful and perilous position a third
performer climbed to him and hung from his
feet and hands, and cut all sorts of didos 1t
was TO a great extent, however, a trick, as
his waist was incased in an armOr from which
protruded i'll the back an iron peg, which
fitted in a socket on the top of the pole, the
peg being pulled into place before he climbed
and after he descended from the pole. and
giving no sign other than that his flesh alone
bore upon the poles top. The other act was
the double plate spinning, one of the perform
ers standing on the head of the other and
both spinning and exchanging plates by toss
ing them up and down.
y In 1859 Majilton and four companions
VISITED Europe, performing IN france, Spain,
Italy, Germany and England, making a great
deal of money and astonishing the acrobats
and gymnasts across the water by their won
derful business. This tour ended with the
accident TO Majilton in 1861. He was for six
months in London under the care Of the
ablest surgeons, who could do nothing for
him. and since has resided in Philadelphia.
That he has a competence is well known. Il
always saved my money he said, land when
other performers would upbraid me for not
going with them aud spending my money
would reply that 1t was my duty 70 earn my
salary, and that if I got drunk 1 could not
act During Lis European tour he and his
companions played always for half the gross
receipts. He saved his money and is to-day in
dependent, while all the others died in poverty.
He has a nice home, pony phaeton in which
ne is driven out in good weather and employs
his time with reading and music, being
very good performer on the violin and flute.
Take HIM for all and all, and In spite Of his
att1iction, Henry NJ Majilton is certainly a
happy Philadelphia Times.
To Humble Family Pride.
why do you want to run for alderman
was asked Of a young man afflicted with the
mania last night. TO humble family pride,
my dear boy, ~ was the answer. Il think l am